Three people died when an Indian Air Force fighter jet crashed through the roof of a house in a village in the northern border state of Rajasthan on Monday (May 8), the Air Force said.

The pilot ejected safely out of the single-seater MiG-21 after an onboard emergency and sustained minor injuries in the process, the Indian Air Force said in a statement, adding that a court of inquiry had been set up to investigate the cause of the accident.

VIDEO | Indian Air Force MiG-21 fighter aircraft crashes near Hanumangarh in Rajasthan. More details are awaited. pic.twitter.com/alD8MYaOFl

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 8, 2023

The MiG-21, dubbed “the flying coffin” by the Indian media, has been the country’s key fighter jet since its introduction in 1963 but has been plagued by crashes in recent years.

India has plans to ground its entire fleet of the Soviet-era fighter jet by 2025, local media reported last year.